The illusion of the power gap obscures a fundamental psychological symmetry between the gamer and the warrior. While one operates at YPS-4 and the other at YPS-6, the identical DNA scores in Growth, Darkness, Bonds, and Ego prove that scale is irrelevant to their narrative function. Both characters serve as obsessive optimizers who view their respective worlds as systems to be solved. For the Saiyan, the system is the limit of the physical body; for the swordsman, it is the code of a virtual reality. This reveals a shared pathology: a total devotion to self-transcendence that borders on the sociopathic. Goku’s willingness to risk the planet for a fair fight mirrors Kirito’s isolation as a 'Beater' who prioritizes mechanical mastery over social integration. The divergence is not in their drive, but in their relationship with Luck. The Saiyan’s narrative protection is consistent, allowing him to treat cosmic threats as sporting events. The swordsman lacks this safety net, forcing him to translate the same obsessive drive into a desperate struggle against systemic death. When we strip away the destructive ceiling, we find that the hero and the fighter are the same machine, just tuned to different frequencies of desperation.
Archetype breakdowns and dispute court land in later phases.